Gal*Gun 2 interview with Inti Creates – The past, the future, lewd games and thoughts on censorship

I’ve been waiting quite a while to get a chance to do an interview with Inti Creates, because they just happen to be the game company behind the lewd Rrail shooter/bishōjo game “Gal*Gun”. Well, the lewd gods must have heard my prayers, because I managed to land an interview with Matt Papa (Papa works as a producer and localization director at Inti Creates). So we talked about everything from “Gal*Gun 2“, the previous “Gal*Gun” games, Inti Creates past and future to Papa ‘s thoughts on censorship.

So without further ado, please enjoy our interview with Matt Papa =)

Inti Creates has been around since 1996. However, their very first game (“Speed Power Gunbike”) didn’t launch until the spring of 1998 for the PS1.

Robin TGGI’m going to start of this interview by allowing you to introduce yourself to our readers. So, please go ahead and do so =)

Matt
Hiya! I’m Matt Papa, producer and localization director, and general “window to the West” here at Inti Creates! I’ve been here about 3.5 years now, and had the pleasure of working on pretty much all of our games since then. I’m originally from New Jersey; I love retro games, anime, sports, and cereal, amongst many other things. I think that should be a good start, hehe!

“The Gal Gun series revolves around an “unlucky” young man who accidentally becomes supernaturally popular with girls. His mission: find his one true love! However, the girls at academy all want their chance too, and will do whatever they can to express their love! He must use his new weapon, the Pheromone Shot, to fend off their advances by giving them euphoria!” – Yes, that’s the actual story of the “Gal Gun” series.

Robin TGGInti Creates has been around since May of 1996. In other words, Inti Creates has existed for +21 years time now, and over the years, you have managed to release +40 titles (including everything from “Gal*Gun”, “Blaster Master Zero”, “Mega Man 10” to a handful of “Azure Striker” games). So I’m curious to know which games that you’re most proud of so far, and which of your own titles do you like the most on a personal level?

Matt
If we’re talking about games I’m most proud of, those would definitely be Azure Striker Gunvolt 1 and Gal*Gun Double Peace. Gunvolt was the first game I ever localized and Gal*Gun Double Peace was the first game I ever worked on as a producer, so they both have very special places in my heart. I’m proud of all the games I’ve worked on, don’t get me wrong, but as the old saying goes, “you never forget your first.” As for which game Inti developed that I like the most on a personal level, that would have to be Mega Man 9.

“Gal*Gun: Double Peace” made a big impact on the Gaming world when the game launched in the West for PC, PS4 and PS Vita back in 2016.

Robin TGG
I’m most likely not the only person on the planet that wonders this, but in all seriousness, how on earth did you come up with the idea and game concept for “Gal*Gun”? (my guess would be that the idea was forged during some drinking sessions at the local bar or pub).

Matt
The game’s director, Masanori Ito, pitched the idea during an inner-company contest where the winner of the contest got to create a new game/IP that we as a company would develop. The pitch was basically something to the effect of, “what if we take a rail shooter, but instead of zombies or terrorists, why don’t we have really cute girls?” The rest, my friend, is history.

“Gal*Gun: Double Peace” offers quite a lot of lewd content and lewd scenes such as this *cough cough*

Robin TGGI could be wrong now…But the original “Gal*Gun” was released to PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2011 and 2012 in Japan, and to my knowledge, the game never saw the day of light in the West. So my question would simply be, why is that the case?

Matt
I don’t think the powers that be who were in charge of publishing the game at the game saw much potential for its marketability back then, not to mention the fact that we didn’t have any internal localization personnel like we do now. There were not nearly as many sexy Japanese games out there on the shelf as there are now, so I think it would have been tough to even get the game rated/put in stores back then. It took a lot of work on my part to get them to green-light a western release for Double Peace too, but thanks to a friendlier market and someone on the inside who could show them that there is indeed a market for these kinds of games; things were different.

Christmas presents is quite different in the world of “Gal*Gun”.

Robin TGG
Did you ever in your wildest dreams expect that “Gal*Gun: Double Peace” would become such a big hit in the West? And when did you know that you had a hit on your hands? Furthermore, what thoughts flew through your mind when you realized that the West had a whole lot of love for “Gal*Gun: Double Peace”?

And does the “Gal*Gun” series have a lot of female players? Because I have noticed quite a few Youtubers, streamers and cosplayers who enjoy the series a whole lot.

Matt
Being a fan of the series since the first game, I believed in Gal*Gun from the beginning. So while I thought it had potential, I definitely did not expect it to hit the level it did! Once I saw some of the initial sales numbers, and seeing the game getting picked up on by so many popular Youtube influencers, I knew things were looking good. I can’t speak for the exact number of female players, but almost all the girls whom I personally know who tried out the game loved it, so it’s by no means just a “guy thing!”

Yep, “Gal*Gun 2” is set for a Spring release this year to PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Robin TGG
Since it’s said that “Gal*Gun 2” is ready for a worldwide release to PS4 and the Nintendo Switch in Spring next year, I just have to ask you if you got any plans at all for a VR version of the game as well?

Matt
We already have Gal*Gun VR out on Steam, so that’s what we have in the VR department at this time. Unfortunately, there are no plans to turn Gal*Gun 2 into a VR game at this time.

Robin TGG
It’s no secret to anyone that Nintendo is rather anti-lewd when it comes to games, since they like to keep their “family friendly” status intact. So how on earth did“Gal*Gun 2” get a release for the Switch console? And will the game receive any censorship at all once it launches in the West for PS4 and the Switch during Spring next year?

Matt
Truth be told, it really wasn’t difficult at all to get the approval for the Switch release. I know that may come as a shock to some people, but Gal*Gun is certainly not the first sexy game to release on a Nintendo platform, and with the way things are going, it certainly won’t be the last! As for censorship, I promised fans from Day 1 that these games will not be censored, and I can assure you that the game indeed does not have any censorship.

Robin TGG
And speaking of censorship, what’s your thoughts on the said Australian and New Zealand ban on “Gal*Gun”? And how many countries had “Gal*Gun”? been banned in so far? And what reason was given? And what’s your take on censorship in games in general?

Matt
That was a really unfortunate situation, and I feel bad for all the Gal*Gun fans in New Zealand, but once the government brings down the ban-hammer, there’s not much we can do. It was not banned outright in Australia, but rather hastily pulled from the country’s biggest retailer, EB Games. You still buy the game online there, though, and it wasn’t illegal to own like in New Zealand. Double Peace was only straight up banned in New Zealand, and while I don’t remember the exact words used, it was definitely due to the sexual content found in the game. My take on censorship in general, is that I avoid it all costs, and I do everything in my power to honor the original content of the creators without making changes.

Pants today, gone tomorrow, and it’s all thanks to the demon sweeper gun. So that means that you will get that chance to suck your way to the pantsu paradise!

Robin TGG
What do you hope to improve and achieve with “Gal*Gun 2”? And what are your own hopes, expectations and goals with the game?

Matt
The game has been upgraded in tons of ways from visuals, to new modes, and a lot more! I try not to have too many expectations, because nothing in this industry is guaranteed, but I really hope those who enjoyed Double Peace, and those who have yet to experience the glories of Gal*Gun, give the game a shot. If you enjoyed Double Peace, I’m very confident that you’ll enjoy 2!

“Equip the Demon Sweeper, capable of vacuuming up Gal*Gun 2’s pesky demon menaces… and sucking the dresses right off the girls’ bodies!” – Yes, you can actually do that.

Robin TGGWhich new features would you say are the most exciting ones in “Gal*Gun 2”? And why?

Matt
I think the Rendezvous feature will entice a lot of fans of the game. Everyone has their favorite characters, and this mode allows you get up close and personal with them and enjoy spending time with them in ways that were never possible before!

By the looks of it, “Gal*Gun 2” appers to be even more lewd than “Gal*Gun: Double Peace”. So fans of lewd content should not be disappointed on that front.

Robin TGG
Do you aim to make in “Gal*Gun 2” more lewd than the previous title? Or will the game hold the same level of lewd content as previously?

Matt
We’re always pushing the envelope in this department, and with new gameplay features like the “strip euphoria” that you saw in the trailer, I think we succeeded! 😉

So many girls, so little time…Life can be very unfair sometimes.

Robin TGGWhat can be said about the story and plot of “Gal*Gun 2” so far? And will it be just as crazy as the one in “Gal*Gun: Double Peace”?

Matt
Rather than being a set personality that “falls victim” to being struck by an angel’s love arrow, this time you are a nameless guy who was asked to help exterminate demons by an angel named Risu, and the tech used in this operation, the Pheromone Goggles, has a very similar effect to the love arrows from the previous games.

The ladies in the picture would be no less than (from the left to the right) Nanako, Risu, Chiru, and Kurona (Chiru and Nanako are the new heroines of “Gal*Gun 2”).

Robin TGGRisu the Angel, Kurona the Demon, Chiru Kondo and Nanako Tamasaki are the new faces of “Gal*Gun 2” right? So what could you tell us about them that haven’t already been said? And will other girls be introduced to the game later on via DLC’s and such?

Matt
I can’t speak to our DLC plans yet, but as for the characters, you have a returning character in Kurona who is a personal favorite of mine, and is fun as HELL to interact with in the game. Risu is an angel who works for the Angel Ring Co. who tasks you, the main character, with eradiating a demon outbreak at Sakurazaki Academy. Chiru, the girl next door, is a total shut-in (or hikikomori, whichever word you prefer) otaku girl, and Nanako is your childhood friend who sits next to you in class. The rest, well, you’ll just have to play the game to learn more about this delightful new cast <3

Say hello to my demon sweeper vacuum gun!

Robin TGG
Is it correct that “Gal*Gun VR” is coming to PC this year? Or has the game been delayed to next year? I would also like to ask you if you have a rough idea of when PC-players can expect to play “Gal*Gun 2”? (next Christmas perhaps?”).

Matt
Gal*Gun VR came out for PC on Steam back in August, so you can pick the game up there whenever you like 🙂 As for potential PC release of Gal*Gun 2, we have nothing to share in that regard at this time, but should that ever change, we’ll definitely shout it from the rooftops!

The doki doki mode is back in “Gal*Gun 2” :3

Robin TGGWhat do you have to say to those who claim that “Gal*Gun” is a perverted, sexist, misogynistic game series with pedophilic undertones? (I have no problem with the series whatsoever, but I feel I had to ask this question since “some” people love to bring that stuff up all the time).

Matt
I guess I would say something to the effect of, “Well, that’s just like, your opinion, bro.” If somebody feels that strongly about a game as silly, light-hearted, off-the-wall shenanigans filled as Gal*Gun, then I really don’t see any hope for them coming around to liking the game. Nevertheless, that’s OK, because not everybody is going to like games like this. However, we will still continue making these games for those who do. The Gal*Gun fam is both big and passionate, so there’s plenty of love to go ’round without having to worry about what haters think.

“Gal*Gun 2” is looking very promising so far. However, we won’t know for sure how good (or bad) the game is until it launches in Spring later this year (which it will for PS4 and the Nintendo Switch).

Robin TGGWhat’s your plans, hopes and expectations for the rest of this year? And what do you plan to do during 2018?

Matt
We have a lot of really cool games in the pipeline that I cannot wait for people to see! I’m gonna keep doing everything I can to turn Inti Creates into a household name amongst gamers, and show the world just how awesome the games we make are! As for me. Well, on a personal level I want to travel more, make more time for gaming at home, and live stream more, hehe.